The Lands of Arda

illuminus · Vala Joined: 29 Jan 2007 Posts: 382

It looks like in the latest running version from what I gather there were a few dozen drop items that were changed. A lot of the critical changes from what I can see are the removal of immunities like mind immune from helmets, death magic immune from stone helm, a drop in damage resistance along with an introduction of damage vulnerability and reduced ability bonus.

I haven't been able to nail down the precise purpose or where exactly it was going but I might have a general idea. Arda at epic levels has become high powered, but not anywhere close to some other NWN modules and our end game zone encounters are somewhat high impact, heavy hitting. From what I have seen out there over the years it is still relatively moderate compared to some of the other action oriented modules.

We seem to have been going toward a more toned down, lower powered character build module as equipment goes. I don't know if a general toning down of encounter difficulty would have followed. Because with the one and not the other some of our favorite areas would end up unplayable. Imagine a low willpower warrior or a party of three of them trying to save against a DC 44 weird spell for example.

So it is up to our current players if you all want some or all of them restored to their original properties. I'm in favor of restoring several of the helmets: Turtle Helm, Stun Resistance, Morthond. New Dor-lomin has some interesting changes that are more accurate from a Tolkein canonical standpoint so maybe it can remain. I don't yet know what other items were modified so this is the place to point it out and make it happen.

Exavior · Joined: 28 Jan 2007 Posts: 309

Being the current builder you need to make the call.

Given the difficulty of getting some items, and given the difficulty level of some of the areas, especially Serra's areas, I don't think the items are overpowered.

That said, if the areas that are quite difficult were brought down in difficulty, then the reduction of item properties would be appropriate.

Either or situation I think!

Thorsson · Joined: 13 Aug 2015 Posts: 108

Speaking for myself as Arda host, and both my brothers who are active players; we would very much prefer all items that were recently changed to be reverted back to their original stats!
_________________
Tread heavily and carry two big axes

illuminus · Vala Joined: 29 Jan 2007 Posts: 382

I'll put that on the front burner then. Maybe I can grind through it all this week then resume the new region building and forges.

Also, there was an ammo standardizing underway. Instead of a bunch of ineffective micro distinctions like arrows with +2 fire, 1d4 fire, 1d6 fire, 1d8 fire we would just have a basic fire arrow in the stores with +1d6 on it. Physical and other elements at +1d6 would round out the varieties.

Rivendell could feature some expensive specials with a 2d6 element and on hit blindness, stun, sleep or knockdown who knows?

Otherwise you could forge them at the Grey Mts village as before, loot them at Umbar and the south etc.

Basically, I don't believe in crippling players from totally owning generic guard mobs in many cases as long as allowances are made for your builder to return the favor in many zones. Twisted Evil

illuminus · Vala Joined: 29 Jan 2007 Posts: 382

Rough draft on buyable store arrows in the coming weeks or months. Feedback would help a lot!

This should reduce the sheer volume of items in the toolset palette under arrows substantially. Maybe 80% of it? At some point it got loaded up with unique little differences but in game play most of the arrows are virtually indistinct for dropping foes.

Standard
Arrow (stock): base damage (bree, carrock, edoras, lorien, mithlond, Rivendell)
Acid Arrow: 1d6 acid (grey mts, sarul, tul harar)
Arrow of the Corsair: 2d10 acid (umbar)
Arrow of the High Pass: 2d6 bludgeon (carrock)
Arrow of the Last Alliance: 2d10 slash (minas tirith)
Hunting Arrow: 1d6 bludgeon (bree, carrock, edoras, Rivendell)
Ice Arrow: 1d6 cold (carrock, celebannon, grey mts, isengard, Rivendell)
Lightning Arrow: 1d6 electrical (celebannon, rivendell, sarul)
Fire Arrow: 1d6 fire (bonisha-dar, grey mts, isengard, tharbad)
Snaga-tracker Arrow: 2d10 cold (dead marsh)
White Hand Arrow: 2d10 fire (isengard)

Special
Arrow of Lindon: base damage, DC 14 sleep 50%/2r (mithlond, Rivendell)
Arrow of Lorien: 2d10 pierce, DC 20 blindness 25%/3r (lorien)
Arrow of Orodruin: 1d6 acid, 1d6 fire, DC 14 doom and fear (dead marsh)
Banshee Arrow: 2d6 sonic, DC 20 fear 25%/3r (dead marsh, sarul)
Disenchantment Arrow: 1d6 slash, 1d6 sonic, DC 14 knock and silence (lorien, Rivendell)
Iron Bow Arrow: 2d6 electrical, DC 14 slow 25%/3r (Rivendell)
Mild Poison Arrow: base damage, DC 14 Con poison (isengard, tharbad)
Poison Arrow: base damage, DC 14 Str and Con poison (dead marsh, sarul)

pre-Slaying
Arrow of the Long Lake: 2d6 slash, 2d6 positive dragon (celebannon, laketown)
Dead-hunting Arrow: 2d6 bludgeon, 2d6 positive undead, DC 14 blindness 10%/4r (bonisha-dar, minas tirith)
Demon-hunting Arrow: 2d6 slash, 1d6 positive outsider (lorien, Rivendell)
Elf-hunting Arrow: 2d6 slash, 1d6 negative elf and 1/2 E, DC 14 Dex poison (dead marsh, isengard, tul harar)
Man-hunting Arrow: 2d6 slash, 1d6 negative human and 1/2 O, DC 14 Str poison (dead marsh, isengard, tul harar)
Orc-hunting Arrow: 2d6 slash, 1d6 negative goblin and orc, DC 14 daze 10%/4r (carrock, celebannon, edoras, lorien, iron hills, minas tirith)
Spider-hunting Arrow: 2d6 bludgeon, 2d6 positive vermin, DC 14 blindness 10%/4r (bonisha-dar, celebannon)
Troll-hunting Arrow: 2d6 slash, 1d6 negative giant, DC 14 daze 10%/4r (iron hills, Rivendell)

I'm considering the economy, relevance, usefulness and variety factors all together for the arrow revision. The excellent forge grade arrows should stay as is.

Exavior · Joined: 28 Jan 2007 Posts: 309

That looks good.

I'm on the fence on the sleep/poison/fear stuff. Surely arda monsters have saves that render most of them irrelevant?

Other than that, I'm all for that.

Is there any way of getting the never-ending quiver idea off the ground? Not sure how difficult a script that would be, but it would be a high-end "one-ring" type forge for archers if we had it...and the arrows did decent damage Smile

illuminus · Vala Joined: 29 Jan 2007 Posts: 382

Closest we got was allowing for 999 units in your ammo slot which helps a lot.

As for the on hit effects, they all will work unless it is something like a boss giant with mind immune that you are trying to daze with troll slaying.

The problem is the save DC for these effects is capped at 26. All of the high end encounters have saves of about 28 or higher. Fortitude is usually the highest at over 40.

The answer in place now is to force repeated saves on your target so they eventually roll a 1 and fail. Haste gives us an extra attack as does each new reincarnation. So for each combat round, assuming you score hits and the 25% comes up, there are potentially 6 or more saves your target has to make if only at a 5% chance of failure each.

Not highly promising but if and when something like blindness, daze or fear takes effect it can help particularly for sneak archers.

However, there is also on hit cast spell. On these you can set the caster level up to 40th. One of those is a spell effect called freeze that causes slow. At 40th the Fort save DC for your freeze effect arrow would end up at 50.

As an example I made a superior iron bow arrow with 2d6 electrical and level 39 freeze. Its base value for 99 stack ended up over 3 million. Too high for stores. But it could go in as a forge with 2d12 slash and electrical for better effect. Your target would often end up at a very slow crawl pace with reduced AC taking massive damage from such arrows.

CyanABX · Joined: 05 Feb 2007 Posts: 168

Are these new arrows implemented? I cant seem to find them in the stores. Also has the Iron bow been upgraded? The status I have match several drop bows that have unlimited arrows. Can the mighty be increased to 10 and 2d6 unlimited ammo with some kind of effect? Also there was discuss of forge quivers. Is that still a possibility?

Also is it possible to have the forges replace old forge bows with the new versions? I haven't seen a DM online for upgrading.

illuminus · Vala Joined: 29 Jan 2007 Posts: 382

A few new arrows should be in now. Just ask for DM next time I'm on, perhaps Monday.

CyanABX · Joined: 05 Feb 2007 Posts: 168

Can the forge Wraith Robe of the Black Numenorean king be updated? I can argue that the drop Robes of Dark Sorcery is better. Possibly removing the -str,con would be a good start.

Wraith Robe of the Black Numenorean King (Armor 0/none)
AC +4
Con -1
Str -1
Sorc/Wiz slots 6,7,8
Cha +3
Int +3
On hit: Melf's Acid Arrow lvl 30

Robes of Dark Sorcery (Armor 0/none)

+4 AC
Spell Slot: Sorc Lvl 7
Spell Slot: Sorc Lvl 8
Spell Slot: Wizard Lvl 7
Spell Slot: Wizard Lvl 8
Acid Resist 20/-
+2 Cha
+2 Int
Light Bright (20m) Red
Evil Only